Shackleton Tale “Endurance” Comes To TV

After years of trying to get it off the ground as a feature, producer Amy Baer and filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen are set to turn the story of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton into a limited series for cable television.

“Endurance” deals with Shackleton’s 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition which aimed to cross the icy continent from sea to sea via the South Pole.

Disaster struck when his ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed before the shore parties could land. For well over a year they struggled to survive and reach help – ultimately they were all rescued with no loss of life.

Petersen (“Air Force One,” “The Perfect Storm”) will produce and direct from a script by Steve Zaillian. Alan Gasmer (“Vikings”) will also produce for Sony Pictures Television. Negotiations are presently underway with a cable network.